Fence-clamp



J. B. WOUDSON.

' FENCE CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED APR.23. 1920.

1,377,540. Patented May 10,1921.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOE-IN B. WOODSON, OF FAYETTE, MISSOURI.

FENCE-CLAMP.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN B. WooDsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Fayette, in the county of Howard and State ofMissouri, haveinvented a new and useful F ence-Clamp, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to fence clamps and has for its object theprovision of a device that may be inexpensively manufactured and thatwill be highly efficient for the purpose of holding the strands of awire fence in spaced relation during the stretching thereof, so that theentire fence may be placed under tension at one operation and eachstrand have an equal proportionate amount of strain.

The present invention is particularly adapted for use in stretchingwoven wire fencing it being a further object of the invention to providemeans whereby the lower strand of the fence may be temporarily anchoredto the lower extremity of the clamp during the application of the clampto the fence fabric, so that an operator may have no diliiculty instretching the fabric to its full height. With these and other objectsin view which will appear as the description proceeds, the inventionresides in the arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter moreparticularly pointed out and claimed.

In the drawing forming a part of this specification Figure 1 is a viewin elevation of the device;

Fig. 2 is an edge view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a cross section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. at is a perspective view of one of the clamping members;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on'line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view of a modified form of clamp;

Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of one of the clamping members usedwith the de vice as depicted in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the links used for connecting the stretchingmedium to the clamp.

Referring to the drawing by characters of reference the numeral 1designates a body member. in the form of an ordinary channel bar.

Bars 2 and 3 are secured to the outer face Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented May 10, 1921 Application filed April 23, 1920. Serial No.376,034.

of the member 1 at each side thereof by means of rivets l or likefastening devices. The bars 3 being wider than the bars 2 and bothextending practically the full length of the bar 1, form a groove 5 atboth sides of the bar.

Clamping members 6 are preferably formed of sheet metal, stamped toshape and consisting of a body portion having a lower face 7 and anupper face 8, the upper face being provided with a lip 9 which isadapted to overlie the lower edge of the next clamping member. Oppositesides of the body are provided with flanges 10 which rest in the grooves5. A bar 11 is secured to the lower end of the body 1 and serves as anabutment for a series of clamping members 6 which are arranged in thegrooves 5. The members 6 being located one above the other and reachnearly to the top of the guide ways, enough space being left to permitof separation of the blocks for the reception of the fence wires.

A bar 12 extends across the upper end of the body 1, closing the upperend of the guide ways 5 and is secured to the body by bolts 13. A screwbolt 14 provided with a hand hold 15 is threaded through the bar 12, theend of the bolt being adapted to bear against the topmost clampingmember 6 and force the series of blocks into gripping engagement withthe fence wires, pressure at the end of the series of members 6 beingtaken care of by the cross bar 11.

In order that the lower strand of woven wire fencing material may beheld near the bottom of the clamp while the remaining strands areproperly positioned between the clamping members 6, so that the fencewill be of the proper height, the bar 1 is provided near the bottomthereof with a perforation 16, and the lowermost of the clampingmembers, designated by the member 17, has an opening 18 registering withthe perforation 16. A pin 19 inserted through the openings 16 and 18,prevents movement of the block. A plate 20 is bolted to the cross bar 11and has a lip 21 which overlaps the block 11 and retains the wire inplace for clamping. When it is desired to attach the clamp to fencefabric, the lower strand is placed'under the block 17 and the pin 19inserted in the openings 16 and 18. This holds the lower strand andprevents the lower block 17 from moving upwardly against the otherclamping members, which would interfere with the insertion of thebalance of the strands to be clamped, thus permitting an operator toarrange the clamp on the fence giving each strand its proper spacing.Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate a slight modification in which the clampingmember 22 may be formed of a solid block and'be provided with grooves 23for engagement with the bars 3, a lip 24 is formed on the block andserving the same purpose as the lip 9 of the block 6.

Links 25 and 26 are shaped to fit the clamp bar and are provided withhooks 27 which engage a link 28. The link 28 serving as means forattaching the stretcher to the clamp for applying tension to the fence.In operating the device after the strands of wire have been arranged, aspreviously described the pin 19 is removed and the screw bolt 14:manipulated to clamp the wires between the faces 7 and 8 of adjacentclampin r members. Iiaving thus described the invention what I claim is:

1. A fence clamp comprising a body por-' tion; a plurality of clampingelements slidable in one direction on the body to grip the strands of afence, meehanismfor moving all of the clamping elements in saiddirection;-and means for holding one of the clamping elements againstmovement in an opposite direction, thereby to maintain said elementengaged with one strand of a fence while the other clamping elements arebeing adjusted to other strands of the fence, the folding means beingreleasable thereby to render said clamping element responsive to theaction of said mechanism, along with the remaining clamping elements.

2. A fence clamp comprising a body portion, strips secured to oppositelongitudinal edges of the body, the strips being provided with opposedlongitudinal grooves, a plurality of gripping members mounted forsliding movement in said grooves, each gripping member comprising ahollow body portion having oppositely extended flanges, a lower face andan upper face, the upper face having a lip for engaging the body of theadjacent gripping member, the flanges being engaged in the grooves, andmeans for 7 moving the said members into gripping relation. 7

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixedmy signature inthe presence of two witnesses.

' JOHN B. \VOODSON.

lVitnesses:

RICHARD K. BRIDGES, J. D. BLACKWELL.

